Anish Kapoor Defies Ban And Buys PINK Pigment Over The Counter

Anish Kapoor has hit back at the ban artist Stuart Semple placed on his purchase of the pigment ‘PINK’. The rivalry started in 2014 when Kapoor bought the exclusive rights to the colour “Vantablack”, developed by tech company Nanosystems, which claims to be the blackest of black pigment available. It is capable of absorbing 99.96 percent of light and was designed for use in telescope technology. The British-Indian artist has now managed to get his hands (or fingers) on ‘PINK’ and posted a photo on his Instagram site with the caption “Up Yours” via @dirty_corner.

The exclusivity of pigment has pissed off many in the art community. In retaliation, Stuart Semple created what he claims is the “pinkest pink” paint on the market. He spent a decade perfecting the hue of ‘PINK’, which he then sold to the public, excluding Anish Kapoor the only artist on which he sanctioned. Legally this is impossible as the dry pigment is openly sold to the general public.

“It’s obviously very disappointing that Anish has illegally got his hands on the world’s Pinkest paint.”

In order to exclude the Turner prize-winning artist buyers of ‘PINK’ were required to sign a legal document stating that they would not allow Anish Kapoor to acquire the pigment.
The people behind Project, ‘PINK’ said, “It’s obviously very disappointing that Anish has illegally got his hands on the world’s Pinkest paint. If anyone knows who is behind sharing it with him it would be good if they could come forward – Anish is still very much at large, not just with the blackest black but now the stolen pinkest pink. Luckily he’s failed to get his hands on the world’s most glittery glitter so we would urge purchasers to refrain from sharing any with him or his associates.”

Sanjeev Khandekar, who recently delivered a lecture on the patenting of colours, the phenomenon is an “internalisation of capitalism”. “What Anish has done is exactly the opposite of what artists around the world are trying to do — to have an open access to general intellect,” he says. Sanjeev thinks the idea of patenting colours can only draw criticism. “The art world is also a part of the society and today more than aesthetics, art is driven by the market, so there is competition. Artists are bloated with ego and often end up making fools of themselves,” he added.

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